Frictional power-transmitting device.



No. 751,379. PATENTBD APR. 12,1904.

' W. 0.. a; J. 1). WORTH.

. PRIGTIONAL POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHBETS8EBET 1.

mamas? TO unio. WASNINUTON o c No. 757,379. PATENTED APR. 12, 1904.

. w. 0. 5; J. DJWORTH.

FRIGTIONAL POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 30, 1903.

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UNITED if STATES Patented. April '12, 19045 PATIENT, OFFICEQ WILLIAMWORTH AND JOHN WORTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLlNOIS.

' IFRICTIONAL POWER-TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

SPEGIFIGATiON forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,379, dated April12, 1904. l V Application filed December 30, 1903. Serial No. 187,097.(No model.) i

To (11 iii/tom, it may canoe kn: I

Be it'known .that we, WILLIAM O. WORTH and J OHN D. WORTH, both ofChicago, in the countyof Cook andState of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Frictional Power -TransinittingDevices;-

and we hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, ref- .erence being hadto the accompanying drawings,which form part of this Specification. OHPIIIVGDUOH relates tofrictional power-j transmIssion dev1ces,and has for one of Its objectsto provide a transmission device adapt-1 A further object of ourinvention is to provide a device ofthe character described wherein thedriving-shaft is uninterrupted and is bodily stationarythat is to say,wherein said driving-shaft has no movement whatever save .its rotativemovement in its relatively fixed bearings. I

Another objectof our invention is to so arrange the driving and drivenmechanisms as to provide a device of the character described whereinneither the driving nor the driven shafts are subjected to end thrust;and a further object of our: invention is to provide agenerally-improved and highly-eflicient fric tional power-transn1issiondevice of the character specified.

With a view to attaining these and other objects,which will be apparentto those skilled in the art from the following description, ourinvention consists in a device comprising; a bodily-stationarydriving-shaft arranged to receive rotary motion from some prime mover,such as an engine, and provided with'two confronting drivingfriction-disks, twoapproxr mately coaxial independent driven shafts,each provided with a friction-wheel associated with the driving members,and means for bodily moving said driven shafts simultaneously inopposite directions to bring the opposite driven wheels into peripheralcontact with the opposite driving-disks.

Our invention further consists in certain new and improved means foreifecting such sidriven shafts in a common plane with the driving-shaft;and ourinvention further consists In the new and advantageous featuresof construction and arrangement of parts more fully hereinafterbrought-out and specified in the 1 claims.

In the drawings, wherein we have illustrated an operative form of ourinvention as embodied in a power-transmitting device for automobiles,Figure 1 is a plan view of the chassis of an automobile equipped with apower-transmitting device embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is an enlargedvertical section in aplane generally longitudinal to the frame, showingparts in elevation.

Fig. is a plan view of the transmission mechanism enlarged and detached,parts being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a detail of the connection of adriving-disk to its shaft. .Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse verticalsection taken through the driven-shaft-moving mechanism. Fig. 6 is alongitudinal section on line 6'6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an enlargedsectional detail taken on line 7 7 of Fig; 3. Fig. 8 is a transthelatter being mounted for independent rotation upon a common axle 13,suitably supported in the frame.

.14 indicates a prime mover, such as a ver-,,

tical four-cylinder engine, suitably mounted in the frame 10 andarranged to impart rotation'to a longitudinallyextending drivingshaft15.

16 and; are two driving friction-disks ar{ ranged. in; face to faceconfronting relation steering-wheels, and 12 12 its driving-wheels,

and at suitably -separated points upon the p driving-shaft 15. .Qne ofsaid disks is pref erably arranged for" adjustment upon said shaft, themeans which we prefer to employ for securing such adjustment being bestillus- I 24 to turn about a vertical axis.

trated in detail in Fig. 4. wherein indicates a thread formed upon theshaft 15 for engagement of a corresponding thread upon t efriction-disks and 15 indicates a keys ot formed in the shaft. 18indicates a key seated in said slot 15 and engaging with a slot 16 inthe disk 16. I

19 indicates a key-retaining nut screwed on the thread 15. It will beapparent that when the nut is loosened and the key removed the disk 16may be advanced or retracted upon the shaft 15 by rotating it relativeto the shaft to properly adjust the position of said disk and that theparts may be then secured in immovable relation by the properinterposition of the key 18 and its lock-nut 19.

20 and 21 indicate two opposing drivingshafts arranged in generallycoaxial relation, 2. portion of each of said shafts lying between thedriving-disks 16 and 17 being bodily movable transversely of said shaftor longitudi- =nally of the machine, as hereinafter more fullydescribed.

22 and 23 indicate driving-wheels slidably mounted upon shafts 20 and21, respectively, and adapted to be simultaneously brought into contactwith the opposite driving-disks by the shifting of the driven shafts inopposite directions.

In the specific construction herein shown we have illustrated the shafts20 and 21 as pivoted on a vertical axis at their outer ends andlaterally movable at their inner adjoining ends and means forsimultaneously moving said adjoining ends in opposite directions. 1

Specifically, 24 and 24 indicate brackets suitably secured to the sidepieces of the frame 10 and associated with the shafts 20 and 21,respectively. As the mechanisms connected with both of these bracketsare exactly alike, we will particularly describe only that 'asso:

ciated with bracket 24, it being understood that similar parts are foundassociated with the'bracket 24', parts associated with bracket 24 beingindicated by the same numerals as like parts in the bracket 24, butdifferentiated by the exponent-mark prime, The bracket 24 is so shapedas to afford two verticallyalining separated supports 24 24 and aconnecting portion 25, perforated, as at 26, for the passage of theshaft 20.

27 indicates generally a combined bearing member and gear-casing pivotedin the bracket Preferably, for convenience, the said casing is made intwo pieces, as indicated in Fig. 6; but its essential is that it begenerally so shaped as to afford a suitable bearing for the shaft 20 anda chamber 28 for a gear member.

29 29 indicate opposing pivot-studs projecting'vertically upward anddownward from the member 27 and each screw-threaded, as indicated. 31 31indicate adjusting-nuts threaded upon said studs and bearing against thetop and bottom surfaces, respectively, of the two sup porting bracketmembers 24. Suitable checknuts 32 are preferably also employed to lockthe adjusting-nuts 31 in set position. It will be apparent that by thearrangement described vertical adjustability of the bearing member issecured for the purpose of properly alining the shaft. I

33 indicates a skirt of the gear-casing, which may be omitted, ifdesired.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, wherein is illustrated inenlarged detail the mechanism for supporting and adjusting the innerends of the shafts 20 and 21, 34 indicates generally a split bearing-boxdivided longitudinally with reference to the shaft 15 into tworelatively slidable sections and having its two sections arrangedjointly to completely encircle 'said shaft to loosely bear thereon. Onesection 35 of the box 34, associated with the shaft 20, is provided witha longitudinally-extending guiding-flange 36 along each of its upper andlower sides. The opposite box member 35 is provided with a coactinggrooved flange 37, adapted to form a guide for the flange 36 of the saidbox member. 38 indicates a vertically-disposed bearing-sleeve,preferably formed integrally with the box member 35 and arranged toafford a bearing for a vertical actuating-shaft 39. 40 indicates aseries of gear-teeth provided on or cut into the shaft 39 and arrangedto coact with corresponding teeth 41 of the box member 35. As the partsthus geared together have very slight relative movement in practice, butvery few teeth are necessary to secure the results desired. The shafts20 and 21, respectively, are journaled in the box members 35 and 35 formovement therewith longitudinally of the driving-shaft 15 ortransversely of the said driven shafts 20 and 21. As the association ofboth of the shafts with their corresponding box members are alike, wewill describe only the connection of the shaft 20 with its box member35, it being understood that like parts as those described are foundassociated with the opposite shaft and are indicated by like numerals ofreference diiferentiated by the exponent prime, 42 indicates a recessmade transversely into the box member 35, substantially in the sameplane with the axis of the shaft 15. 43 indicates a sleeve wherein theshaft 20 is journaled for rotation, said sleeve being of somewhat lessdiameter than the recess 42 and arranged therein. 44 44in'dicatevertically extending pivot pins projecting above and below thebearing-sleeve 43 and preferably formed integrally therewith. Each ofsaid pins 44 is screw-threaded at its outer end to receive anadjusting-nut 45. 46 46 indicate check-nuts adapted to lock theadjusting-nuts It will be apparent that by suitable adjustment of thenuts 44 the sleeve 43, and consequently the inner end of the shaft'rections.

20, may be vertically moved to secure and maintain the shaft 20 withitsaxis in the horizontal plane including the axis of the shaft 15. Itwill be apparent now that if the actuating-shafts 39 be rotated thepositive engagement of said shaft with the sleeve 38 of "the box member35' and its gearing engagement with the box member 35 will cause saidbox members to be simultaneously moved longitudinally of the shaft 15 inopposite di- 48, to the shaft 39 at a level above the top of thedriving' wheel 16. 49 indicates; a com-- panion "sprocketwheel connectedwith the sprocket 47 by a chain 50 and associated for It will beapparent now that if the hand-wheel 51 be rotated to transmit rotarymotion through its 'chain connection to theactuating-sha ft 39 the 'boxmembers 35 and 35 will be relatively manipulation with the hand-wheel51.

moved, as described, in their movement bodily shifting the shafts 20 and21 in opposite directions to bring the driven wheels 22 and 23 carriedthereby, respectively, into operative friction contact with thedriving-disks 16 and 17 It will be apparent that'by turning the wheel 51in one direction the wheel 22 will be moved into contact with disk 16,wheel 23 simultaneously making contact with the opposite disk 17 andthat by turning the wheel 51 in the other direction the respectivewheels will be *moved into contact with the respectively opposite disks,sothat'when in operation the opposite wheels-always contact with therespectively opposite disks on opposite sides of the driving-shaft.

Means are also provided in our device for simultaneously moving thedriven wheels upon- 'their shafts radially-across the face of the"driving-disks, such means being herein indicated, as follows: 52 is aslot cut longitudinally of the shaft 20 to receive a feather carried bythe driven wheel -22' to secure 'said wheel against rotation relative tothe driven shaft, while permittingit to slide longitudinally onsaidshaft, as will be well understood. 53indicates a yoke operativelyassociated with the wheel 22 to permit the same to rotate relativethereto, but to be capable of moving said Wheel longitudinally, as willbe well understood.

54 indicates a transversely-disposed rack suitably supported andguidedin a plane above the tops of the driven wheels 22 and .23

and fixedly connected with the yoke 53 in any preferred manner. Theseparts are well known in the art and are believed toneed no detaileddescription. Similar devices are associated with the wheel 23 to movethe latter, like parts being indicated by the same numerals as the partsjust described, but differentiated by the exponent character prime, .Thetwo Means for effecting such operation. -of the shaft 39 are provided,such means be ing herein indicated, as follows: "47 indicates asprocket-wheel fixedlysecured, as by a key rackmembe rs 54 and 54' arearrangedface to face and are suitably separated. 55 indicates a sprocketwheel carried by a sleeve 56, mounted for rotation'upon the shaft 319and interposed between and in engagement with said racks 54 and 54. 57indicates a sprocketwheel aifixed to the sleeve 56 at a level above thetop of the driving-disk 16 and connected by a chain 58 with an operatingsprocketwheel 59, operatively associated with the hand-wheel 60. :Thehand-wheels 51 and 60, heretofore described, and their respectivesprocket-wheels Y 49 and 59 may be arranged upon two separate andindependently-rotatable sleeves concentrically mounted upon a shaft 61,having fixedly secured to the upper end thereof a handwheel 62 andconnected at its lower end by any suitable mechanism (generallyindicated at 63) with the steering-gear. Such an arrangement, however,forms no part of our present invention, and anymeans for inde-'pendently operating the steering mechanism, the mechanism for axiallymoving the driven wheels, and the mechanism for bodily moving the drivenshafts may be employed without departing from our invention.

While we have described the box member 35, carrying the shaft 39, asmovable longitudinally of thedriving-shaft 15 and have also described apermanent connection between a sleeve 56,carried by said shaft 39,andthe laterally-immovable rack 54, it will be understood that in practicethe amount of relative play of the two box members 35' and 35 necessaryto effect the shifting of the driven wheels fromengagement with theirrespective driving-disks to engage with the respective opposite disksis'very slight, so that the lost motion and play of the gears andsprockets and their chains is suificient to permit the device to beconstructed as heretofore described without the use of springs or othermeans for yieldingly holding the racks 54 in engage- *ment with theirsprockets.

It will be apparent that in the operation of our mechanism the looseconnection of the box 34 with the shaft 15 enables it to assume suchposition as may be necessary to cause (the friction-driven wheels toexactly balance in their pressure ontheir respective coacting disks.Thus it will now be apparent that as the pressure of the driving-wheel22 against whichever of the driving-disks 16 or 17 it is thrown intocontact with is exactly counterbalanced by the opposing pressure of theop posite wheel 23 against the opposite frictiondisk the'shaft 15receives no end thrust'in either direction, and this source ofconsiderable loss of power is eliminated. It will also be apparent thatas with whichever of the driving-disks the wheel 22 engages the wheel 23engages with the opposite side of the confronting disk the shafts 20 and21 always receive rotation in the same direction. quently both shafts 20and 21 may be directly connected with their respective tractionwheels,and both will drive in the same direction. In the drawings we haveillustrated such connection as made from the shaft 20 by asprocket-Wheel 64, mounted on said shaft in the recess 28 of thegear-casing and connected by a driven chain with the gear 66, fixedlymounted on the wheel 12. indicated by like numerals of referencedifferentiated by the exponent prime are provided to connect the shaft21 with the traction-wheel 12.

While we have herein set forth in some detail an advantageous embodimentof our invention in an automobile structure, we do not desire tobe'understood as limiting ourselves to its use in such environment or tothe particular construction shown in all of its details,

as it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention iscapable of wide application and that numerous changes in the specificstructure might be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofour invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a frictional power-transmitting device, adriving-shaft,twoconfronting drivingdisks thereon,two driven shafts disposed transverselyto the driving-shaft, a driven wheel carried by each of said drivenshafts, means for moving said driven shafts transverselyin oppositedirections to bring the opposite driven wheels into contact with theopposite driving-disks.

2. In a frictional power-transmitting device, a driving-shaft, twoseparated, confronting driving-disks thereon, two driven shafts disposedtransversely of the driving-shaft on opposite sides thereof, afriction-driven wheel carried by each of said driven shafts between thedriving-disks, and means for moving said driven wheels simultaneously inopposite digections into contact with the opposite drivingisks.

3. In a frictional power-transmitting device, a driving-shaft, twoconfronting drivingdisks secured thereto, two driven shafts disposedtransversely of the drivingshaft, a driven wheel carried by each of saiddriven shafts disposed between the driving-disks, and means forlaterally moving the adjacent ends of said driven shafts in oppositedirections to bring the opposite driven wheels into contact with theopposite driving-disks.

4. In a frictional power-transmitting device, a driving-shaft, adriving-disk mounted thereon, two driven shafts disposed on oppositesides of the driving-shaft, a driven wheel carried by each of saiddriven shafts, and means for simultaneously moving the correspondingConse- Like parts "flamers ends of said driven shafts in oppositedirections to move one of said driven wheels into contact with thedriving-disk, and remove the v opposite driven wheel from saiddriving-disk.

5. In a frictional power-transmitting device, a driving-shaft, twoconfronting drivingdisks thereon, two driven shafts transverselydisposed relative to the driving-shaft on opposite sides thereof, a boxstructure loosely mounted on the driving-shaft and comprising twomembers relatively movable longitudinally of the driving-shaft, and eachaffording a bearing for the inner end of one of the driven shafts, andmeans for moving said movable box members in opposite directions tobring the driven wheels into contact with the driving-disks with equalpressure.

6. In a frictional power-transmitting device, a'driving-shaft, twoparallel confronting driving-wheels thereon, two driven shafts disposedtransversely of the driving-shaft on opposite sides thereof, a drivenwheel carried by each of said driven shafts, a pivotal bearing for oneend of each of said driven shafts, a movable bearing for the oppositeend of each of said driven shafts, and means for simultaneously movingsaid movable shaft-bearings in opposite directions to bring the,opposite grigen wheels into contact with the driving 7 In a frictionalpower-transmitting device, a driving-shaft, two parallel confrontingdriving-disks thereon, two driven shafts disposed transversely of thedriving-shaft v on opposite sides thereof, and in a common planetherewith, a driven wheel carried by each of said driven shafts, abearing pivoted to turn on an axis transverse to the common plane of theshafts atthe outer end of each of said driven shafts, a bearing membercarried by the driving-shaft and having two relatively movable parts,one arranged to afford bearing to the inner end of each of the drivenshafts, and means for simultaneously moving said movable parts of thebearing member in opposite directions to bring the opposite driven:ivheels into contact with the opposite drivingisks.

8. In a frictional power-transmitting device, a driving-shaft, twoconfronting drivingdisks carried thereby, two driven shafts arrangedtransversely of the driving-shaft on opposite sides thereof in a commonplane therewith, a driven wheel carried by each of said driven shafts, abearing for the outer end of each of said driven shafts, arranged topermit slight oscillating movement about an axis transverse to the planeof the shaft-axes,

a split bearing-box surrounding the drivingshaft having twoindependently movable members each arranged to afford bearing to theinner end of one of the driven shafts, and means for simultaneouslymoving the boxsections in opposite directions to bring the oppositedriven wheels into contact with the opposite driving-disks.

9. In a frictional power-transmitting device, adriving-shaft, twoconfronting drivingdisks thereon, two driven shafts disposedtransversely to the driving-shaft, a friction-driven wheel carried byeach of said driven shafts, vertically-adjustable bearings for the outerand inner ends of each of said shafts, one of said bearings for eachshaft being arranged to per- Init slight pivotal play of the shaft aboutan axis transverse to the plane of the shafts, and means for moving theother shaft-bearings simultaneously in opposite directions, to bring theopposite driven wheels into contact with the opposite driving-disks.

10. In a frictional power-transmitting device, a driving-shaft, twoconfronting drivingdisks carried by said shaft, one of said drivingdisks being adjustable longitudinally of the shaft, two driven shaftsarranged in a common plane with the driving-shafts and disposedtransversely relative thereto on opposite sides thereof, afriction-driven wheel carried by each of said driven shafts, and meansfor moving said driven shafts in opposite directions to bring theopposite driven wheels into contact with the opposite driving-disks.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we aflix oursignatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM O. 'WORTH. JOHN D. WORTH. In presence of Fonnn BAIN, MARY F.ALLEN.

